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Mariners still anxious over young guns

Rather than feel like they had dodged a bullet with Mat Ryan's Rangers trial aborted and Tomas Rogic's Reading transfer all but ruled out, Central Coast Mariners still felt under the transfer window gun on Monday.

The A-League leaders would have been forgiven for feeling relieved after goalkeeper Ryan's 10-day trip to Scotland was "indefinitely postponed" due to a shoulder knock.

And the Mariners should have been breathing easier with midfield star Rogic set to remain after his deal with English Premier League outfit Reading all but collapsed.

However, the Gosford club's officials hinted their star pair would again be tempted to leave the A-League this month after attracting plenty more offers from British clubs.

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After Central Coast put out a statement confirming Ryan would not train with fallen Scottish giants Rangers, a club spokesman said it was "very unlikely" Rogic was bound for EPL battlers Reading.

"At this point in time he is staying," he said of Rogic.

"Reading is a very unlikely destination for him.

"But there are another few clubs interested in him and Ryan too.

"We have not received any formal figures or terms but there are 24 days left in January (the transfer window) - we will wait and see."

Mariners coach Graham Arnold admitted he was a nervous wreck as UK clubs hovered around his young guns following Sunday night's 2-0 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Rogic, 20, has turned heads overseas in a stellar season in which he made his Socceroos debut in November.

Ryan has already trialled with EPL club Tottenham Hotspur.

The Mariners announced on Sunday that Ryan would miss this weekend's big clash with third-placed Melbourne Victory to spend 10 days training with Rangers.

But on Monday they made a complete backflip due to Ryan's shoulder complaint.

"While the injury is minor, both clubs have agreed that it is in Ryan's best interests to remain in Australia under the care of the Mariners' medical department for the foreseeable future," the club said in a statement.

The injury is so minor that Ryan is expected to be fit for the match against the Victory in Launceston on Saturday.

It momentarily silenced critics of Ryan's proposed move to Rangers who play in the fourth tier of Scottish football after financial troubles led to their demotion.

"I don't know what he's thinking. I don't know what the club's thinking," former Socceroos `keeper Mark Bosnich said on Fox Sports on Sunday.

"This is one of Australia's best young talents and he's going to go down to the fourth tier of Scottish football.